A New Beginning
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: If Astrid hadn't followed Hiccup and found Toothless, then they would have managed to leave without notice. But what would happen after that? A mix of Books and the Movie. Rated T for safety
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. Rights belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks._  
_A/N: Scandinavian countries, certainly in Viking times, only used '______son' as a surname if the person in question is a male. As Astrid is a female, the correct surname would be 'Hoffersdottir'._  
_Summary: Mix of Books and Movie. If Astrid hadn't followed Hiccup, then he and Toothless would have escaped. But what would happen after that?_

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**Chapter One**

Hiccup was in Trouble.

Oh, he had achieved his lifelong ambition of being allowed to train as a Viking and making his father, Stoik the Vast, proud, but that only made things worse. The culmination of Dragon Training was to have the honour of killing a Monstrous Nightmare.

Hiccup's success thus far was using non-violent tricks to subdue the dragons, but not kill them; tricks learned from the dragon he had saved and befriended, even naming him Toothless. Since Hiccup was still largely useless at actual fighting of any kind, this 'honour' of killing his first dragon in front of his father and the entire tribe was Not A Good Thing.

Hiccup's 'reward' had been announced at the end of the day's training, and Hiccup was now running as fast as he could to the hollow where Toothless was currently living. "We are so leaving! Come on, Toothless, let's go! We need to get out of here, NOW!"

Luckily, Toothless did not pick today to be difficult, and soon they were flying away from Berk at top speed. Just in time, too, as they barely missed hitting a blonde figure as they shot out of the hollow. As they flew, Hiccup chanced a last look back at the Island of Berk, the place he had called home his entire life, but was now rapidly disappearing into the distance.

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Dragons are very strong creatures, but even they need to sleep at some point. Humans are less hardy, requiring sleep more often. When a dragon needs a human rider to be awake in order to actually sustain flight, resting at night becomes a requirement.

Hiccup thought that he could fly forever, as long as he and Toothless were flying together. Unfortunately, he couldn't, and the stress of the long day and several nights of very little sleep were swiftly catching up with him.

The only problem was that they were currently flying over miles of empty ocean, with not even a rock in sight, and while Toothless could swim, his ability to float was like that of a shark, which needed to keep moving if it wanted to stay floating. Not to mention the effect that the icy water would have on a creature born of fire.

Finally, just when Hiccup was starting to get desperate, he saw a small group of rocks, jutting high out of the crashing waves. An almost-forgotten Pirating lesson tugged at his memory, telling him that these rocks had some kind of special significance, but right now Hiccup was too tired to care.

One mostly-smooth landing later, Hiccup quickly unharnessed Toothless, who shot a bolt of fire at the rock, creating his own little nest as Hiccup had seen him do many times before, scampering in a circle to put out the flames before settling down with a soft croon. Hiccup had slept on the rock floor of Gobber's forge once or twice before, and the residue warmth from where Toothless dozed easily chased away the cold sea air.

Closing his eyes, Hiccup fell asleep almost instantly. There were plenty of fish in the surrounding waters that he and Toothless could catch, and planning their next move could wait until morning. Perhaps things would be a bit clearer after a good night's sleep.

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A/N: Several parts of this fic will be from the movie, obviously, but I will be throwing in characters, plot-points and other bits and pieces from the books. I strongly recommend reading those, by the way.

_This first chapter is a small one, mostly to get a feel for things and to see if I should continue. So please, tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is very welcome, but flames will be ignored. Bonus points if you point out which book characters you want to see._

_Thanks, Nat._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. Rights belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks._

_Summary: Mix of Books and Movie. If Astrid hadn't followed Hiccup, then he and Toothless would have escaped. But what would happen after that?_

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**Chapter Two**

Gobber had mentioned that Hiccup had made a habit of disappearing most afternoons, so Stoik the Vast (O Hear His Name and Tremble, Ugh, Ugh) was not too worried when he couldn't find his son after Hiccup had been proclaimed the winner in Dragon Training. Instead, he concentrated on how to properly express his pride in his son. Tact was not a strong Viking trait, but he couldn't very well say that he had never expected Hiccup to amount to anything. Perhaps something about no-one being more proud than Stoik himself was…

Brains were also not the biggest requirement for being a Viking, but Stoik was not totally unobservant. His pride and joy at the change in Hiccup had nearly overwhelmed him the previous night, but no so much that he had missed Hiccup's obvious surprise that Stoik was expressing any emotion other than disappointment in him.

A tiny part of Stoik had squirmed uncomfortably when he saw the panic in his son's eyes as Hiccup tried to scramble together an apology and explanation for not telling him, and the boy's shock when he asked, "You mean you're not mad?"

That tiny part had been brushed aside by Stoik's joy that he and Hiccup finally had something to talk about that did not involve scolding the boy for his latest failed attempt to impress the other Vikings. Admittedly, they did not end up doing much talking other than a brief bonding moment when Stoik gave Hiccup his first helmet, fashioned out of half of Valhallarama's breastplate, before Hiccup pleaded exhaustion, but Stoik had not been worried. Being a celebrity was hard work, especially when you were the son of the Chief.

Today, with the fight with the Monstrous Nightmare less than an hour away, and no sign of his son since the previous afternoon, Stoik was starting to worry.

No-one had any idea where Hiccup was, or where he usually disappeared to, and the only vague hint that they had was from Astrid Hoffersdottir, who had followed Hiccup into the woods with the intent of yelling at him to find out how he had become good enough to be selected over her, but had lost him in a hollow when she had been surprised by some huge black mass that had shot over her head.

A search party had been formed in seconds, but the results had not been promising. Some of the older Vikings, more used to tracking injured dragons, had picked up the signs of a large, injured dragon crash-landing somewhere in the woods. Further tracking had led them to the hollow that Astrid had described, where they found several black reptilian scales, too large to belong to anything but a dragon, a lot of fish skeletons, and signs that a smallish human had been there recently.

Gronckles varied between dull green and brown, with occasional shading of grey. Deadly Nadders were bright azure, with white underbellies. Zipplebacks were vivid green and grey, while Terrible Terrors were brightly coloured and seldom larger than the average dog. Monstrous Nightmares, when not on fire, were a reddish-bronze. No one had ever seen a dragon with black scales before, but, as Fishlegs pointed out, no one had ever seen a Night Fury, like the one Hiccup had claimed to have injured, either.

It was not much of a stretch to say that Night Furies were probably black, nor that they were anything less than deadly. Astrid claimed that she had lost Hiccup when something large and black flew over her head at astonishing speeds. If Hiccup had disappeared every afternoon in an attempt to find the Night Fury, then perhaps he had found it. If so, the dragon had had plenty of time to recover from whatever injuries had grounded it until now.

There was a cold, numb silence on the way back to the village. Hiccup's desperate need to prove himself to everyone, to his father, had led to his disappearance and possible death. Snotlout had opened his mouth, probably in a horrible attempt at tactful reassurance, but didn't get past "At least we-, " before Astrid and Ruffnut decked him.

They had returned to the dragon arena, then separated for their respective homes. The students were left by themselves as Gobber left to help his brother-in-arms. Finally, it was Fishlegs, the second-least enthusiastic student, who broke the quiet. "We don't know where Hiccup is, but the least we can do is carry on in his memory. We'll become Vikings, and we'll find and kill the Night Fury who did this."

This semi-rousing speech earned a quiet cheer, and the five adolescents returned to their training.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away from the Isle of Berk, Hiccup was slowly waking up on a rock in the sea. Fog and twilight had hidden his surroundings the previous night, but in the fresh light of day he could see land in the distance.

Land meant a possible place to live, and maybe even another village. If Thor decided to change his mind and bless Hiccup with any kind of luck, the possible inhabitants wouldn't try to kill Toothless on sight. Or Hiccup, for that matter. He quickly re-saddled Toothless and took to the air, flying toward the beach.

Either Thor was feeling generous, then was put in a bad mood, or Loki was playing tricks. Hiccup and Toothless had nearly reached the landmass when two other dragons swooped into view. Startled, Hiccup's foot slipped, sending both boy and dragon into a spin that ended with both crashing onto the rock-strewn sand. Rolling in order to avoid being flattened by Toothless, Hiccup hit his head on a large, half-buried rock. The last thing he saw was the other dragons swooping in to land. Ah, Hells.

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__Again, Constructive Criticism is welcome and you get bonus points and a special mention if you can tell me any book characters you want to see. I have a couple planned already, but feel free to suggest others._

A/N: OK, another fairly short chapter, but I kept writing, then looked over it and decided that this seemed like a better place to cut off. The next chapter will be up soon, and will be significantly longer.

_Thanks, Nat_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. Rights belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks._

_Summary: Mix of Books and Movie. If Astrid hadn't followed Hiccup, then he and Toothless would have escaped. But what would happen after that?_

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**Chapter Three**

Either Hiccup had survived without being eaten by a dragon, or the Afterlife looked a lot like the inside of a Viking House.

The door opened, a large, burly woman entered, and Hiccup decided that if he wasn't dead now, he would be soon. The Bog-Burglar tribe had some very hostile history (Vikings tended to create Blood Feuds over even minor offences) with the Hairy Hooligan tribe, to which Hiccup had previously belonged, and were very enthusiastic with their insistence that the only good Hooligan was a dead one. Oddly enough, Stoik held the exact same opinion about the Bog-Burglars.

Except, the woman didn't kill him, only checked his head and informed him that he couldn't lie there all day.

From there, things only became stranger. He opened the door, nearly slamming it closed again when a Gronkle flew past. At the sound of laughter, rather than shouting, he opened it again, only to be confronted by a tall young woman stalking up to him and demanded that he get his Nightfury to stop following her dragon around. Hiccup's first thought was that she reminded him of a taller, dark-haired Astrid. A slightly gentler one, too, as although she looked angry, she didn't immediately shove a pointy weapon in his face when he didn't immediately answer.

Once he got over the shock that this Viking Tribe wasn't going to go insane and try to kill Toothless unless he tried to kill them first, he had followed her to a separate enclosure, where a female Nightfury (distinguishable by a pair of long, silver horns, and being midnight-blue, rather than pitch black) was trying to ignore Toothless, while Toothless tried everything he could think of to get her attention.

A gold Mood-Dragon was laughing at them, while avoiding a pair of Terrible Terrors, one green and one yellow, who were rolling around on the floor, fighting viciously over a large fish.

The young woman who had brought him down was watching the dragons with an expression of quiet amusement. "The other Night Fury is Firesong, and she says that your dragon is called Toothless. The mood-dragon is Stormfly; a pathological liar, though you can always tell when she turns purple, and she belongs to the Bog-Burglar Heir. The two Terrible Terrors are Brightclaw and Newtbreath. I'm Thora, by the way, I'm told that you look a lot like Hiccup, the Hairy Hooligan Heir, and you are still alive because the Chief is one of the few who actually recognize you, no one can really confirm it, and no one wants an angry, over-protective Night Fury on our hands."

That a pretty girl was even giving him the time of day, much less introducing herself, talking to him, and the explanation that she offered was enough to send Hiccup's head into a spin, though he managed to collect himself. "Pleased to meet you. Yeah, I accidentally called him toothless once, and it stuck as a name. What do you mean, your dragon told you? Do you mean that you don't kill dragons here?"

Thora shrugged. "Only if they try to kill us first. We already figured out that they make better hunting partners than enemies. We catch them as babies, train them, and get an even bigger edge over anyone who tries to attack us. They even have their own language, though Camicazi somehow taught Stormfly to speak Norse. Now, I want to hear everything about how you came to get here. Why did you run away, and how did you get a grown Night Fury to listen to you?"

Hiccup got the feeling that he would be telling this story a lot over the next few days. "Well, it all started during a dragon raid…"

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Hiccup was right; he did end up recounting the tale more times than he cared to think about. First the Chiefteness, Big-Boobied Bertha wanted to know for information purposes, then what seemed like half the village followed him around until Hiccup told them. On the bright side, it was an efficient way to meet people, and he was introduced to some very interesting people.

The Heir of the Bog-Burglar tribe was a blonde girl whose hair looked as though it had never been touched by the hand of mankind, and a person louder or more hot-headed, Hiccup had yet to meet. Camicazi was a year or so younger than Hiccup, and the only person in his age group that he had met who was actually smaller than him. That didn't make her any less dangerous, however.

Camicazi could steal your underwear without you noticing until you were undressing for bed, and the Bog-Burglars no longer bothered to send out ships to retrieve her when she was captured by rival tribes, because she would have escaped and been half-way home by the time they got there. Camicazi was also an absolute menace with a sword, and could give most of the adult Vikings a run for their money, even without her very distracting habit of talking as she fought, mostly to hurl insults or to inform you of how badly you were doing and why.

For obvious reasons, most people found this very aggravating, which only caused them to lose their focus even more. Only Bertha and her sister, Bjorna, who had taught her the tactic in the first place, or Thora, who had perfected the art of tuning her cousin out, remained immune. Hiccup, who had always been good at finding ways around problems, had developed his own tactic; taunting her right back whenever he could get a word in edgeways, which usually startled Camicazi enough for Hiccup to get a hit of his own in.

There was Gundred and her brother Niell; blonde, bulky and vicious, who acted something like falconers with their tiny flock of Terrible Terrors. There was Thorvald, who was a year older than Hiccup and in the middle of writing a book on dragons. He also had a habit of trying to teach everyone Dragonese, whether they wanted to learn or not. After them came Criedhe and Nessa, the flame-haired twin children of Big Boobied Bertha's younger brother. Both were shaping up on the scrawny side, and were busy training their own dragons, so that they could eventually make up in flight what they lacked in size.

Thora, on the other hand, was not the strongest or most remarkable of women, unless you counted her quiet nature, but she was the most sympathetic to his tale. It had taken several days, and a careless remark (and Camicazi's violent response) by Criedhe, another of the Vikings-in-training, but he had finally asked her story. As it turned out, Thora knew quite a lot about losing you family and trying to fit in amongst strangers.

Viking children were given horrible names to convince trolls and other undesirables that they were not worth stealing away in the night, but Thora had not had a name at all until she was nearly five. Her parents had both been Roman slaves, before her mother had died in childbirth, leaving her to be raised mostly on the Roman War Galley where her father served the Centurion.

If Hiccup had been amazed to learn that the Bog-Burglars kept dragons as domestic pets, he had been even more shocked to find that the Romans caught dragons for food and their skin. It was during one such raid that Thora had been freed. Something had disturbed the dragons, and they had been fully awake and angry when the Romans arrived to conduct a raid on nests that were supposed to still be asleep.

The dragons had been less than obliging, and a very fierce fight had ensured. At one point, a Gronkle had dive-bombed one of the catapults, changing its aim from the dragon nests to the same rocky outcropping where Hiccup and Toothless had spent their first night, and accidentally knocking a Night Fury on its first flight out of the air.

The Fledgling Night Fury had fallen into the cradle of the great war machine, and Thora's father had seized on a desperate chance. He had grabbed his daughter, who had been hiding under the catapult, and hoisted her into the cradle. Making sure that child and dragon had a good grip on each other, he had pulled the lever with all his strength, sending them shooting into the pre-dawn sky.

The noise from the battle had alerted some of the Bog-Burglar fishermen, who had taken a small boat out to see what was going on. They had just caught a glimpse of the Roman Galley when they also caught sight of a tiny girl and a young dragon, who had missed the rocks and were now struggling to keep each other afloat. Both had been promptly dragged on board and dried off.

Unfortunately, Firesong had just escaped from a ship filled with strange humans, and had no intention of staying on this one. She had launched herself into the air, grabbing the girl-child on the way, and streaked off toward the distant beach, where several of the Bog-Burglar women were holding the annual 'Most-Dramatic-Entry-Into-Viking-Life' contest.

This was also known as the 'Whose-Baby-Made-The-Biggest-Commotion' contest, and Camicazi had been about to win, having been born all of two minutes before gumming (biting before you had teeth) the midwife, who accidentally dropped her near a small surgeon's knife, which she had promptly tried to grab it. Thankfully, she lacked the motor control to do more than reach out and scowl.

It was at this point that the Fledgling Night Fury had crash-landed among them, and the tiny child clinging to it had kicked Big-Boobied Bertha in the shins when the woman had tried to pick her up. Despite not having been born into the tribe, the Bog-Burglars were not about to let this much potential (or the chance of a pet Night Fury) go to waste.

The girl had been declared the winner of the annual contest, given the name Thora, and later adopted by Chiefteness Bertha's younger sister Bjorna. It had taken a while for Thora to really be accepted by her peers, but when you have a young Night Fury backing you up, even the most hot-headed Viking was going to think twice about picking on you.

Thora had been the first to actually ride a dragon, as most of the domesticated dragons were Terrible Terrors, Basic Browns, or Common/Garden dragons (none of which grew much larger than the average dog), and had been recently joined by Camicazi, when Stormfly had stopped growing at the size of a young tigress. Given that Stoik the Vast (O Hear His Name and Tremble, Ugh, Ugh) was not exactly prone to bragging about his son, and Hiccup was smart enough to avoid mentioning his origins, most Bog-Burglars had only to see Hiccup and Toothless fly in such perfect tandem, to have little trouble accepting him, too.

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_A/N: So, three chapters in three days, lets hope that I can keep it up. In the books, there were at least five or six tribes of Vikings, and in Real History, I don't know how many; yet, in the movie, the Vikings of Berk seem to be the only ones interested in fighting and killing dragons. While Hiccup is good with Dragons, I don't think that he is quite ready to completely live among them, and the Bog-Burglars are far enough away from Berk that they won't accidentally stumble across Hiccup while out sailing. Also, Hiccup and Camicazi become good friends, so I thought it would be good to stick her in there._  
_Fun Fact: Yes, her name is based off the japanese word for suicide missions, and yes, there is a very good reason for that._

_Thanks, Nat._


	4. Chapter 4

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_Disclaimer: I am not Cressida Cowell or Dreamworks, therefore I do not own 'How To Train Your Dragon'.  
Summary: See previous chapters._

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**Chapter Four**

The best part about being a Bog-Burglar, at least as far as Hiccup was concerned, was that while he was expected to know how to fight in an emergency, the warriors of the Bog-Burglar tribe were traditionally female (Astrid would have loved it here), so no-one expected him to automatically be a champion of all things Viking.

In fact, men more often served as fishermen, blacksmiths, scouts or armourers, although professions such as medicine, priest, farmer or historian could be performed by either gender. Here, Hiccup could be himself, could demonstrate his ideas without the jeers and taunts that punctuated everything about him back on Berk, especially about his size and lack of co-ordination, or his Father's constant disappointment. Here, Criedhe and Nessa practically worshipped him and Toothless, and the only scorn he received was during Camicazi's distracting chatter.

They also had no issue with the fact that Toothless was injured, and needed the makeshift tail-fin that Hiccup had crafted in order to fly. In fact, the only reaction had been one Blacksmith suggesting that he re-make or cover it with shed dragon-skin and –scales to minimalize the risk of the fin catching fire at a crucial moment.

Much like snakes, dragons shed skin and scales all the time. After a flight where Toothless had swept a bit too close to a torch and his fake tail-fin had caught fire, Hiccup had taken them up on the offer.

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Sadly, being a dragon rider did not excuse a person from lessons. About two months after Hiccup's arrival, he and Camicazi had just been released from their morning tutors and were leading the others out for practical training, when Thora and Firesong came careening in, splattering everyone with mud as they landed. Despite this, Thora sounded quite cheerful. "There are a couple of Roman ships a few miles off of the coast, but they look like they're trying to give us a berth this time. Can we bash them anyway?"

This last was directed toward Big-Boobied Bertha, who had come over to see what all the commotion was about. A vicious smile spread over the bulky woman's face, "YES! WE ARE BOG-BURGLARS! OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO ATTACK THEM! Criedhe, Niell, send out your Terrible Terrors as scouts. Thora, take Gundred and look for a good place to launch our attack. THE REST OF YOU, GET YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE THE SHIPS!"

Bertha strode away, still shouting orders, Camicazi running beside her, her small face alight with anticipation. Gundred scrambled up behind Thora, who hadn't bothered to dismount, and Firesong soared back into the air. Niell had summoned the flock of Terrible Terrors, and was giving them scouting instructions, with Thorvald acting as translator. This left Nessa and Criedhe to explain things to Hiccup.

The Bog-Burglars had had a few previous encounters with the Romans, culminating in a successful attempt to kidnap the Bog-Burglar Heir as part of a plot three years ago. Camicazi escaped less than a week later after bashing a Roman guard over the head with her food tray and stealing his helmet, which she used to chip a tunnel through the walls over the ensuring two days.

This tunnel emerged in the bathroom of the Roman Consul, who had thankfully been alone at the time. Camicazi had smashed the Fat Consul's snack-bowl over his head and snuck out while he was unconscious. This would have left her with the problem of getting out of Fort Sinister (The Roman fortress), but had found Stormfly on the way out.

Camicazi's capture had been productive in one way, however. The Centurion had decided that if trying to take in one nine-year-old girl took six legionnaires to pull off, and one officer being reduced to tears by the little girl's rudeness, then the Bog-Burglars as a Tribe were probably to be avoided.

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Roman ships liked to use foggy mornings as a cover to sneak up on their enemies. The downside of this was that if their enemies knew that the Romans were coming, then they could also use the fog to sneak up on the Romans, and their enemies generally knew the local geography, and ensuring dangers, a lot better than the Romans did.

The Romans knew the area around the Bog-Burglar tribe reasonably well, but this time, they were trying to give them as wide a berth as possible, which took them into slightly shakier waters. This lack of certainty had them moving slower than usual, and focusing more on not running into anything than the fleet of Bog-Burglars that were silently (for once) sneaking up beside them.

The distinctive sound of a Night Fury's approach is actually part high-pitched roar, and part sound-of-something-moving-at-very-high-speeds. When gliding on thermals, however, they were virtually silent until they were right on top of you. Mood-Dragons grew darker as they became angrier, and Stormfly had very unpleasant memories of her first encounter with the Romans.

Hundreds of Bog-Burglars prepared to attack the Roman ships, while above them, three dragons hovered, almost invisible against the pre-dawn sky.

The first that the Roman Flagship knew about the attack was when the Bog-Burglar war cry rang out less than ten feet away. Since the Bog-Burglar war cry sounds like a very rude word being shouted at the top of a person's lungs, the Roman lookout turned to reprimand someone for their language, only to come face-to-face with a small blonde on a dark grey Mood-Dragon, grinning manically.

The lookout was about to draw his sword, when Stormfly set his uniform on fire. His resulting high-pitched shriek was just as effective in warning everyone of the danger, but far less dignified. The Roman ships didn't have much time to react, before Toothless and Firesong decided that they were through with being quiet, and set the sails of two other ships on fire.

To their credit, the Romans managed to regroup quickly, but not before their ships had been boarded and were now swarming with as many Bog-Burglar Vikings as Romans.

Most Vikings were tall, beefy and violent, but everywhere had a few exceptions. Hiccup had a very quick mind, but very little physical power to back it up. Camicazi was lethal with a weapon in her hand, but if you took that weapon away and somehow got her to stand still for five seconds, then you could probably overwhelm her with brute force. On Berk, they tried to pretend that the small or scrawny just didn't exist.

With the Bog-Burglars, they took the light and speedy, and added dragons. The big and strong could take care of themselves on the ground or on the deck of a ship, but in the air, Hiccup's small size was an advantage as he and Toothless were everywhere that they were not supposed to be, disrupting attacks and causing chaos.

One Roman ship was arming its catapults to try and sink as many Bog-Burglar ships as possible, but didn't get past the first stone before a concussive blast from Toothless shattered the war-machine into splinters. Roman soldiers who were not running around chaotically and were trying to form some kind or organized resistance found themselves swept up in the claws of either Stormfly or Firesong, and dropped into the cold ocean.

Romans used archers, but their light bows, while sufficient to pierce fur or skin, did not pack enough force to puncture dragon hide, and dodging arrows was one of the first things Thora had added to the dragon rider training regime. "Hold still! Jupiter take you, bitch!"

"Oh, shut up. Up you go, big-nose!"

"We'll get you for this! Hey, put me dooooooooown!"

SPLASH! "Oops. Come on, Firesong, let's get rid of those annoying arrows."

WOOSH! There followed a great burst of fire and a lot of screaming.

Another downside of archery was that while flaming arrows were commonplace, they didn't shoot very well when the bow itself was on fire.

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It took three hours of a pitched hit-and-run battle, but the Roman ships finally managed to limp out of the fight, only to find that the Bog-Burglars were named as such for a reason, and half of them had nicked all of the supplies, treasure, and the gallery sink while the other half were busy fighting the Romans.

Back in the Bog-Burglar village, the Vikings were gloating over their catch. These particular Roman ships had apparently been coming back from a raid of their own, and had been carrying all sorts of things. Sound carried well over water, so it wasn't difficult to miss the wails of dismay from the departing, battered ships when they discovered their loss.

Thora smirked and continued digging through a few chests with Camicazi. Silks were impractical for Viking weather, but could always be traded off to a tribe that lacked the brains to realize this (which was most of them). The coloured bales of wool, cotton and linen, on the other hand, would be very useful. Ooh, weapons!

Camicazi was looking through another chest, which turned out to be jewellery. She didn't really see the appeal of hanging things around your neck or arms, but that belt of silver links was nice, and the pendent with two dragons twining around a broadsword would make a nice gift for Thora's her next birthday. Putting those aside, she joined Hiccup and Thora at a chest full of weapons, where they were debating what was practical. "Sorry, Hiccup, but I doubt that you could lift a large weapon under normal circumstances, let alone wield it one-handed while riding a dragon."

"Maybe not, but daggers are close-range. How do you expect to use them? A sling would work, but it would be hard to aim while rocketing around in mid air."

Camicazi darted over and picked up a light sabre, accidentally poking Thora in the process. Thora yelped, then picked up a pair of jewel-hilted daggers and poked her right back. Hiccup left them to it and continued inspecting the weapons for something he could use at all, then narrowed those down to ones that he could use while riding on Toothless, calmly ignoring the mini-free-for-all behind him.

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_A/N: Longer than the first two chapters, but not as long as the third. I don't do fight scenes very often, so suggestions and opinions on that front are more than welcome. Points to anyone who can reference the dialog with the Romans. I couldn't resist._  
_As always, constructive reviews are very much appreciated, while flames are considered and then laughed at. If you ask a question and want a reply, then either log in so I can reply, or leave an e-mail address or pen-name._

_Thanks, Nat_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Do I look like Cressida Cowell or Dreamworks? Didn't think so._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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Chapter Five

The spoils from the fight with the Romans had been divided up, and what remained divided into 'what-we-might-need-later' and 'what-we-can-sell-or-trade-for-things-we-might-need-later.

Now, they were organizing a trip for the younger Vikings. One of the training flights had taken Gundred and Nessa further than planned, much to Thora's displeasure, but they had been saved from her wrath by the news of Gypsy and Trader caravans heading further North than they usually did.

This promised an interesting interaction. The Viking Tribes had come across Gypsy clans before, but since the Gypsies had a very nasty habit of casting even nastier curses on people who got on their bad side, most Vikings left them alone and focussed on the Peaceable Tribes.

This was annoying, because the Gypsy families were often in possession of various things that could not be conveniently found elsewhere. Now, the Bog-Burglars and, rumour had it, a few of the other Tribes, were hoping to open some kind of trade.

Ships that passed through Viking waters were often full of things that were totally unsuitable for the Frozen North, which was just asking to be raided, in Thora's opinion. But, since most of the cargo was of no use to those who dwelled in the Barbaric Archipelego, they needed to find something to do with it, and if it could be traded for things that they did need, or even something like a good weather charm, so much the better.

Thora had decided that going to meet the Gypsies and Traders would be a good exercise in riding and controlling dragons outside of a battle (she was also still annoyed that the twins had allowed their dragons to take them so far away.) and insisted that Thorvald come with them, in case of a language barrier. Camicazi was going with them, as Big-Boobied Bertha had insisted that her Heir needed to witness, and take part in, the occasional non-violent interaction with other tribes.

Not wanting to be left alone with just the twins, Hiccup had also talked his way into going, citing that they wanted to make an impression, and that they wouldn't find a better example of Human-Dragon partnership than him and Toothless. Thora had conceded the point.

* * *

The Trader Leader's youngest son, Alaric, was about Thora's age, and also probably the most enthusiastic about the potential Trade Agreement. This may have been helped by his keen interest in dragons and the possibility of riding them. Leaving Camicazi to re-tell the latest battle against the Romans to a group of fascinated younger Traders, and Hiccup to go over the final details of the proposed agreement, Thora ordered Gundred and Nessa off to fish for dinner, and resigned herself to an evening on answering Alaric's questions.

Half an hour later, Thora found herself grudgingly impressed by Alaric's knowledge of dragons, especially when the tribe had admitted to not having encountered dragons outside of the occasional book, stories and campfire gossip. Finally, Thora yielded to curiosity. "How do you know so much about dragons if you've never seen them before?"

Alaric smirked sheepishly, which was quite an accomplishment. "Take me flying, and I'll show you."

Thora glanced over to where the dragons were hissing at each other over the last few fish. "Wait until they finish eating, then I'll take you. I'll even have Hiccup and Camicazi come with us, so you can see how we each interact. Now, how do you know so much about dragons?"

Alaric jogged back to his family's caravan, retrieving something. It turned out to be a book, entitled 'A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons'. Glancing at the author's name, Thora quietly choked, then broke into a huge grin. "Hey, Hiccup, come and look at this!"

Discussing the agreement had quickly turned into the story of Hiccup and Toothless, and Hiccup looked slightly relieved as he finished talking and came over. Barely holding back peals of laughter, Thora showed him the book. Hiccup did a massive double-take when he saw who had written it, and Thora had dissolved into unstoppable giggling. "I bet Stoik the Vast and the Hooligans don't know about this!"

Hiccup chose to let the jibe about the widespread Notorious Distaste for Books slide, dismissing it as stating the obvious, his eyes still fixed on 'By Hiccup Horrendus Haddock II'. "Well, if I'm Hiccup the Third, then it stands to reason that there is a First and Second." He turned to look at Alaric, "What will you trade for this?"

Alaric considered the question. "Thora promised me a ride on her dragon, and we will travel up nearer to the Barbaric Archapelego in the Spring. If I lend you the book until then, will you take me to the Dragon cliffs and help me get my own dragon?"

Thora narrowed her eyes, holding up her hand to stop Hiccup from instantly replying. "Are there any other books similar to this?"

Alaric shrugged. "In the Meathead Public Library, perhaps. Do we have a deal?"

If Hiccup was there to stop her from taking too many risks, Camicazi could burgle half of the library and be most of the way home before the Meatheads even realized that someone had broken in. Since Camicazi welcomed any chance to spend time alone with Hiccup, not that he minded, under the guise of 'not letting him have all the fun', it shouldn't be too hard to get hold of some other books. "We have a deal. Let's go see if the dragons have finished eating."

* * *

Firesong, Stormfly and Toothless had finished eating, but were not thrilled about going flying before a nice long rest. Firesong was even more reluctant to let some stranger on her back. It took no little sweet-talking and flattery, but they finally consented.

Only to shoot off as fast as they could in dizzying spirals, performing every acrobatic trick that they knew. On the bright side, this did make for a very effective lesson in flying a dragon, and would show just how determined Alaric was to have one of his own.

Even Hiccup staggered a bit as he dismounted Toothless, and Alaric was decidedly shaky on his legs as they landed, but still as determined as ever for his own dragon. Thora was even more reluctantly impressed, and promised to take him to the dragon cliffs when the Trader Tribes visited in the Spring.

* * *

The Traders had offered shelter in one of their caravans, but the Vikings had chosen to curl up with their dragons, instead. The nights were cold, even in late summer, but a blanket and the heat from the dragon's own bodies was more than sufficient to keep them warm.

Storm clouds threatened from the south as dawn broke, prompting the Vikings to take off straight after a hasty breakfast to avoid being caught in it. With a last smile and nod of thanks, the Vikings checked that their traded items were properly secured and urged the dragons into the sky.

Hiccup and Camicazi were in the lead as they sped back to the Barbaric Archepeligo. Most of the Traders went back to their own business as soon as the dragons were high enough in the air not to take offense, but Alaric's eyes remained fixed on the dragons, especially the last figure, her dark hair streaming behind her as her blue-black dragon streaked toward the horizon.

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A/N: More a filler chapter and laying groundwork than anything, but Chapter Five is up. Writer's Block is a pain.

_As always Constructive Criticism is very much appreciated, and if you have questions, either log in or leave an e-mail address for me to reply, as frowns on using chapter space to reply to reviews._

_Thanks, Nat._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I am neither Cassandra Claire nor DreamWorks; therefore I do not own How To Train Your Dragon._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters._

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CHAPTER SIX

Hiccup was sixteen the first time he kissed Camicazi.

"And how you managed to end up on a Roman ship instead of a Peaceable fishing boat..."

Actually, it had been disgustingly simple. Camicazi had decided that it would be fun to go for a midnight sail, and Hiccup, having learned that trying to stop her was only an exercise in futility, had gone with her in an attempt to keep her out of trouble. Unfortunately, the combination of night and the beginning of a pre-dawn fog had made it difficult to see clearly, and what had looked like a fishing net turned out to be a snare, set by Romans trying to catch Sharkworms.

The sleepy Roman watchers had been too tired to actually look at what they had caught, and had dragged them on board. Like many who did not know Camicazi personally, the Romans had been unimpressed and disbelieving at her claims that no prison, not even one designed by Romans, could hold them.

Hiccup, having lived with Camicazi and the Bog-Burglars for almost a year now, knew that they would be free soon enough, but wasn't sure if they would escape before being sold to the Ugli-thugs.

Luckily, there had been no need to test that theory, as they were quickly rescued by a visibly irate Thora and a visibly amused Alaric, who had been sneaking back in from their own midnight escapades and overheard the frustrated shrieks often associated with someone trying to kidnap Camicazi. After setting the mast on fire, freeing the captured dragons, and flying double back to the Bog-Burglar island, Thora was now reading them an extensive lecture.

When Thora was cut off after several minutes, Camicazi wanted to know why kissing was so wonderful, and why Thora shut up when Alaric did it, but started yelling and threatening to stab people if anyone else tried. It didn't really fit with her view of the natural superiority of females, and the opinion that no boy could make Thora do anything she didn't want to. "…I'm sure that you or Alaric would do all right, for a boy, of course, but you have to admit that girls are much better and always will be."

No adolescent boy, no matter how shy, is going to resist that sort of challenge to their masculinity. Hiccup kissed Camicazi. "Dream on, Sunshine," he grinned.

Camicazi blinked. She had been called many things, usually along the lines of 'Pint-sized menace' or 'Fast road to insanity', but 'sunshine' was definitely a new one. Camicazi decided that it wasn't so bad, even if a boy had been the one to think of it. "Fine, you don't have to admit it, but ze Great Camicazi is still better than any boy, so there!"

And she kissed him back, just to prove it.

* * *

Hiccup was seventeen when he discovered that he was actually quite good at fighting with weapons, and not just flying a dragon.

They had been on the way to visit Alaric's Trader Caravan, or rather, Thora had decided that she would be escorting this season's traded goods, and Bjorna refused to let her daughter go alone, when they had run into a village of Gallic farmers, who became far less Peaceable than usual when they spotted the Bog-Burglars and their dragons.

A fight had broken out, and Hiccup hadn't dodged a pitchfork quite fast enough, earning a nasty wound on his right arm, and was forced to switch to his left. Given that he wasn't much good with weapons even using his right arm, the best Hiccup had hoped for with his left arm was to have to rely on dodging to hold them off until someone noticed his predicament.

Instead, a near-miracle happened.

His arm seemed to move almost of its own accord. He blocked the angry farmer who was trying to cut him in half with a scythe. Hiccup's arm moved again, parrying the next swipe and disarming his assailant. He slashed at another farmer who was trying to sneak up behind him, chopping the handle of the farmer's wood-axe in half.

Hiccup was actually holding his own in a fight!

Not wanting to trust to luck, as it was the first time he had fought left-handed, and any style of fighting takes time to learn properly, even if you are only learning to fight with a different hand, Hiccup fought his way back to the where the Gallic Peasants were looking very reluctant to get near Camicazi's whirling sword.

He didn't stop grinning until they returned to the Bog-Burglar village and was facing Thora and Camicazi on the training field.

* * *

Hiccup was eighteen when he finally mastered Dragonese.

He had always been interested in languages, and good at them. This was proven by the frustrated comment on his 'Advanced Rudery' Report Card about how Vikings were not supposed to speak perfect French when threatening Gallic Peasants if they didn't hand over their valuables. Stoik's reaction had not been pretty.

When Hiccup heard Thora speaking in a strange language punctuated by clicks and whistles, and the Bog-Burglar elder, Old Wrinkly, told him that it was Dragonese, he jumped at the opportunity to learn.

His first actually fluent conversation in the language of serpents had been a bit of a shocker, though.

Toothless had been Hiccup's first real friend, and Hiccup had been so excited and pleased to have someone to talk to, even if a significant portion of their conversations were conducted in mime, that he formed the questionable habit of calling him by such names as 'Pal' and 'Bud' or 'Buddy'.

Toothless knew that it was Hiccup's way of calling him friend, and tolerated this with the air of one who does not care for the habit, but likes the person enough to not get too exasperated, as they know that the friend either can't really help it or just doesn't know better.

But even the dearest of friends can get annoyed at times, and the second time that Hiccup called him 'Bud' in Dragonese, causing Firesong to burst out laughing, Toothless snapped that he was not a young flower, and that the next time Hiccup called him as such, Hiccup would find his head on fire.

Thora, who had chosen that exact moment to enter, found this hilarious. Camicazi, who entered a few moments later, fixed her cousin and the still-giggling Firesong with her best Glare. Unfortunately, Thora had been the one to teach Camicazi The Glare, and remained totally unaffected, although Firesong was had the grace to stop laughing and shamelessly bat her eyes at Toothless as she apologized.

* * *

Hiccup had been fifteen when he and Toothless had fled from Berk, on that day when his life had changed forever.

Hiccup was nineteen when his world changed again, and it became time to face his past, if he wanted to have a future.

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A/N: Yes, I know it's been forever since I updated, but that's how long it took to properly write up the chapter. I had plenty of bits and pieces, but no real way to stick them together. Most of the next chapter is written, though, and it shouldn't take nearly as long to post, though there are a few other stories demanding my attention.

_As always, Constructive Criticism is very much appreciated, but fire doesn't really impress dragons, so flames will only get you burned._

_Thanks, Nat._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. This really should have sunk in by now._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters._

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CHAPTER SEVEN

On the three-year-anniversary of Hiccup's departure from Berk, he and Camicazi were returning from a walk/fly, and found the entire village in an uproar. Firesong had returned from her and Thora's daily flight with a ragged harness, dangling a cut rope from her neck, and without Thora.

Big-Boobied Bertha had been all for sending out the ships and declaring war on everyone in the Barbaric Archipelago until someone coughed up her niece, but her sister, Thora's foster-mother Bjorna, managed to calm her down long enough to try and come up with a Plan B.

Firesong had been inconsolable at the loss of the human she considered a badly misshapen nestmate, and Toothless and Stormfly had been furious on Firesong's behalf, Stormfly turning a magnificent blue-black as to nearly match the two Nightfuries. Luckily, all three had calmed down when Hiccup pointed out that having them go insane was not helping and Camicazi suggesting that they use the dragons to help find Thora.

* * *

No-one was ever quite sure what ran through the mind of Alvin the Treacherous, though revenge usually played some part in it, and most of his plans had been foiled by pure luck, though very much helped by Hiccup, Camicazi and Thora. Vikings, as a rule, tended to punch first and think later, but Hiccup's sharp mind, coupled with Thora's occasional input of Common Sense and Camicazi's impressive skill in all things Viking, tended to throw very large wrenches in Alvin's plans.

Alvin the Treacherous plan had been a little more devious than usual this time. The Bog-Burglars might train dragons, but the Hooligan and Meathead tribes were both as set as ever when it came to killing dragons. Actually, the Hooligans were probably worse than ever, fixed on revenge for Hiccup's supposed death.

Armed with this information, Alvin the Treacherous poured on the deceptive charm and informed the Hooligans and Meatheads that the Bog-Burglars knew where the dragons lived, and were planning to use them to attack the other Viking Tribes. This was partly true, as the Bog-Burglars did know the location of the Wild Cliffs, where the baby dragons were hatched and raised, but mostly false, as they neither knew or cared about the location of the Dragon Island.

This minor detail didn't bother the other Vikings, however, who instantly declared a Blood Feud with the Bog-Burglars, forgetting that they already hated each other (Blood Feuds were declared on a fairly regular basis, over things as trivial as stealing books from another Tribe's public library) and ran to prepare the Viking longships for battle.

The younger generation of Vikings cheered as they ran from the Meeting Hall, narrowly missing Firesong, invisible in the dark of night, and Thora, dressed totally in black, who had been following Alvin the Treacherous to see what he was up to this time. The two of them were about to take off in the hopes of getting back and warning the Bog-Burglars, when Fishlegs returned, having forgotten his Saxe.

Thora swore loudly and urged Firesong to bolt, but Fishlegs tackled them before they could get more than a metre into the air, yelling an alarm. Seeing several other Vikings turn around and start running in their direction, Thora made a split second choice. Kicking the large youth between the legs, Thora leapt free of the saddle and drew her daggers, yelling for Firesong to return home. The nearest Vikings paused for a few moments, (dragonese was not a widely spoken language, after all) giving the Night Fury enough time to leap skywards and disappear.

* * *

Thora was terrified, but managed to maintain a bored expression as several burly Vikings argued about what to do with her. A burly youth around Hiccup's age advocated keeping her locked up until she started talking. Thora rolled her eyes, biting back a hysterical giggle, "You already tried that, Plankton-brain."

A blonde girl with a fierce expression snickered, as the youth looked indignant. "Who are you calling Plankton-brain? I'm the Hope and Heir of the Tribe of Hairy Hooligans!"

Thora leaned back, closing her eyes. A war of words was much more her area of expertise, even if it was unfair to go up against a clearly unarmed opponent. "Was I in someway unclear, you brainless, small-bearded, oaf? You already have me locked up, so you can't exactly lock me up any more."

Insulting a Viking's beard is one of the worst things you can do, and the youth was about to lunge at her when a giant red-head intervened. Thora tilted her head and looked at him. Take away the beard, make the face and body thinner, and shrink him to about half his current size, and the giant looked a very great deal like Hiccup.

Apparently, she stared for a bit too long, because the giant man glared at her. "What are you staring at, girl?"

Thora tried not to jump in surprise. "I was just thinking that you look like Hiccup. Much larger and broader, of course, but there is a definite likeness. Especially with the hair and the eyes."

That definitely caused a commotion, as it seemed that the Hooligan Tribe was under the impression that Hiccup was dead. Thora found herself grabbed and lifted high into the air, face to face with Stoik the Vast. "What do you know about my son?"

Trying to remain calm while dangling two meters off the ground is not easy, but Thora tried to put on a good show. She shrugged as best she could. "Only that he appeared on a rocky outcrop not far off our beach about three years ago, alongside a Night Fury. Nice boy, in my opinion, very impressive. If I wasn't with Alaric and he and Camicazi didn't like each other so much…."

Stoik the Vast dropped Thora, joining the others in a state of very obvious shock. "Hiccup's alive? All this time? But why wouldn't he return? Do you mean that you're holding him prisoner?"

Thora rolled her eyes. "I don't think that there is a prison that could hold Hiccup, if he didn't want to be held. As for not returning, I think it was something about not being able to kill dragons and never fitting in or being accepted. But, hey, anyone who can ride a Night Fury is nothing short of brilliant, if you ask me."

The blonde girl snapped at her. "No one did! Back to the point of this interrogation; Alvin says that you Bog-Burglars know the location of the Dragon Island. Where is it? How do you get there?"

Thora shrugged again. If this was Astrid, then she didn't know what Hiccup had ever seen in the girl, apart from looks. "We don't know where the Dragon Island is. We know the location of the Dragon Cliffs, where they hatch and raise their young, but nothing about their Island. I asked Firesong once, but she only muttered something about a Queen Purple Death and shut up tighter than an oyster shell."

The burly youth spoke up again. "Is Firesong the name of that dragon you were riding?"

The girl who seemed like a harsher version of Camicazi snapped at him. "Don't be stupid, Snotlout! Dragons are ravening monsters; no-one could ride one. Especially not a filthy Bog-Burglar."

Thora snarled back, "Shows what you know! Yes, Firesong is my dragon, although she'll probably insist that I'm her human. You can't really call her a ravening monster, either. She's a bit of a show-off, but gentle as a cat, otherwise, and very loyal."

Astrid laughed. "If she's so loyal, then why did she fly off as soon as we noticed you?"

Thora didn't give the satisfaction of a glare. "Because I told her to, you insipid twit. I didn't want any of you trying to kill her, so I ordered Firesong to fly away. I'll see her again, soon enough."

As Hiccup had pointed out more than once, Vikings had Stubbornness Issues, and since at least half of what Thora had said sounded like pure fantasy, it had been largely disregarded, and everyone had focussed on the fact that even if the Bog-Burglars didn't know the location of the Dragon Island, they knew how to get hold of dragons that did.

Preparations for attacking the Bog-Burglars were put on hold until morning, or at least as long as it took to get the perceived 'spy' talking sense. This seemed like it might take a while, as the only things she had said so far was a stream of (probably rude) French, interspaced with several gypsy curses, and when she had smirked at Alvin 'The-Poor-But-Honest-Farmer' and asked him the condition of his helmet.

None of the other Vikings had any idea of why this caused Alvin to let out a shriek of rage, and a laughing Thora had been removed before she could elaborate that Alvin the Treacherous had once tried a similar trick on the Bog-Burglars, but dragons were very good at sniffing out deceit, and Stormfly had showed her displeasure by poo-ing in his helmet. Comments on or insinuations toward this memory never failed to get Alvin worked up.

* * *

Any plans to get Thora talking were promptly derailed only a few hours later. As comfortable as she could be on the hard ground of the prison, Thora was lightly dozing, as much to ignore the Hooligans as to get some rest. She was jerked awake by the very distinctive Bog-Burglar battle cry, which sounded very much like an extremely rude word being yelled at top volume.

Outside, there came the sounds of fighting, and the kind of outraged, spluttering half-retorts that only happened when Camicazi was running commentary on whoever she was fighting with. Then, there was the Freyja-Blessed familiar sound of Firesong, (The screams of 'Night Fury!' were a strong indication) moving swiftly in the direction of Thora's makeshift prison. Thora ran into the corner, instinctively covering her head as a concussive blast took out the door, the bars on her cell, and the back wall.

Through the demolished wall, Thora could see a large number of angry Hooligans running toward them. Moving quicker than she ever had in her life, Thora placed one foot in the stirrup, and swung herself into the saddle, urging Firesong into the air before she was even fully seated. Firesong let out a roar, answered by Toothless and Stormfly, and the dragons took off.

The two-person Bog-Burglar strike force also broke off their attack, with Thora and Firesong following Hiccup and Toothless, and Camicazi and Stormfly as they flew home.

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A/N: Yes, it's been forever, but real life has a habit of sneaking up and ambushing me from behind, as do the several other stories and original novel that I am working on. For those who are clamouring to see the reunion between Hiccup and the Hooligans, that will be coming in the next chapter, and I'll do my best not to have it take so long.

_As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated, but anywhere with dragons has enough fires to put out as it is, thank you, so Flames are un-necessary._

_Thanks, Nat._


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. I have a stuffed dragon and a dragon calender, but the rest belongs to Cressida Cowell._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

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**CHAPTER EIGHT**

It was good to have Thora back with the Bog Burglar Tribe, but now they had a different problem to worry about.

The Hairy Hooligans didn't like it when dragons attacked their home, and liked it even less when the dragons were apparently tame and made off with an important prisoner, or, at least, a prisoner who had very interesting information. As a natural progression, the Hooligan Tribe had grabbed their weapons and launched their ships, heading not to look for Dragon Island, but to find the Bog Burglars.

As an even more natural progression, the Bog Burglars had no intention of taking this sort of thing lying down, especially after the Hairy Hooligans had (unknowingly) joined an enemy and captured one of their own, and were forming their own battle plans.

Unlike the Hooligans, Bog Burglar battle plans consisted of more than "Everyone ready? Got your weapons? Follow me!", and that was what had Hiccup so worried.

It had been almost four years since Hiccup had left Berk, and he had carefully avoided mentioning exactly who his father was, but that didn't stop him from feeling slightly reluctant to attack his former tribe. Luckily, Creidhe pointed out that they shouldn't have all their eggs in one basket, especially when the Hooligans had so much practice with fighting dragons. The final strategy was that Hiccup and Nessa would go after the Meatheads, while Camicazi and Nessa faced off against the Hooligans. While the Hooligans and the Meatheads were distracted, the rest of the Bog-Burglars would launch their own ships.

* * *

Snotlout and the new recruits, eager to distinguish themselves in battle were in for a nasty surprise when a young Razor Wing took the top off of their mast, and that of the two ships behind them. Over near the Murderous Meathead fleet, there came the distinctive roar of a Night Fury, actually a combination of roar and the wind rushing past at high speeds, rang out, seconds before a Meathead longship practically exploded.

Luckily for the Vikings on board, most of them were blasted far enough to land on other ships, and the ones that weren't managed to land within swimming distance. Snotlout's ship had recovered enough to aim a catapult at an incoming dragon that they could only assume was a Night Fury, while the Razor Wing, now joined by a blonde girl on a Mood Dragon, continued causing havoc among the rest of the fleet.

Firesong executed a barrel-roll, causing the boulder to miss her, but smash a hole in the side of a Bog-Burglar ship, which had been sneaking up while everyone's attention was on the dragons.

From a ship or two over, there came the sounds of fighting, and the kind of outraged, spluttering half-retorts that only happened when Camicazi was running commentary on whoever she was fighting with. Then, there was the familiar sound of either Toothless or Firesong, (The screams of 'Night Fury!' were a strong indication) moving swiftly in the direction of the younger Vikings' current position.

Astrid had recovered faster than the rest, and had climbed up what was left of the mast, where she could jump on top of Thora when Firesong took off. Thora had the benefit of a saddle and years of experience, but Astrid had excellent balance, and the proximity of both Ocean surface and the tightly spaced ships severely limited Firesong's manuverability. Also, Astrid had the benefit of actually holding her weapon, and saddles were not made for fully turning around in, especially when one is trying to steer at the same time.

Letting Firesong have her head, Thora managed to pull out her knives and turn so that she also stood upright in the saddle, halting Astrid's axe just as the other girl became stable enough to swing it.

Night Furies were incurable show-offs, and tended to bring out the inner-performer in their riders, so it was not the first time Thora had flown standing bareback. The crossed blades of Thora's daggers stopped the downward swing of Astrid's axe, knocking it to the side as one dagger disengaged, slashing at the blonde.

Astrid wobbled, and Thora lunged, but the combined shift of weight threw Firesong off, and both girls wound up clinging to the dragon as she swerved, barely missing several ships. Astrid flipped herself up and managed to grab the reigns. Thora kicked Astrid's feet out from under her and tried to grab them back. Firesong was flying this way and that, and chose to head away from the battle until the maniac stopped picking a fight with her rider. Failing that, she could always leave the blonde one in a tree somewhere.

* * *

The Hairy Hooligan/Bog Burglar fight ended in something of a draw, and the two tribes were in the middle of a face-off, with Stoik and Bertha standing nose-to-nose, glaring and hurling insults and accusations.

Stoik drew himself up to his full three-meter height, puffing his chest out indignantly. "Of course we were provoked! You took my son Hiccup and stopped him from returning home. Did you really expect us to just leave him here?"

Bertha was about to say something rude, probably along the lines of a pointed remark about how Hiccup had been treated while living on Berk, when Nessa landed beside them, catching the chiefteness's attention. "Where are the others?"

Nessa wobbled slightly as she dismounted. "That crazy blonde Hooligan managed to get one of Firesong's reins, and the fight with Thora took them over the Hills somewhere. Camicazi sent me back to tell you, and the others went after them. I think the Hooligan coming back in one piece depends on who gets their hands on her first."

The two tribes agreed on a temporary cease-fire until the dragon riders returned, and settled for glaring at each other while they waited. It was a little under an hour before they heard anything, but everyone seemed accounted for.

From the loud voices, it looked like everyone was returning in one piece, but not necessarily pleased with that fact. As soon at the words became distinguishable, it was clear that at least three people had very decided opinions concerning events.

"Stop glaring at our dragons, or I'm punting your axe straight into the harbour!"

"Tell those overgrown lizards to stop glaring at me! And I won't apologize, dragons are nothing more than brainless, unfeeling killers!"

"Just because YOU'RE terrified that Toothless left you on top of a pine tree…"

"I'm not scared of anything, you moving blonde haystack! Especially not of your multi-coloured, emotionless oversized newt!"

"Stormfly, sit! You realize that Mood Dragons change colour based on their emotions, right? Camicazi, put your sword away! If I'm not allowed to kill her, then neither are you."

"You couldn't kill me if you tried, either of you! I'm the best sword fighter in my age group on Berk!"

"You can't be a very good fighters, then, because your timing is worse than a broken sundial, your footwork is sloppier than pig-food…"

"Camicazi, we're nearly home; now is not the time to antagonize, even if she is a brainless twit."

"Shut up, Thora. You're really quite terrible at everything else, too. Hiccup is better than you, and he's a BOY!"

The Hooligans did a double-take at Camicazi's accidental confirmation, and Stoik the Vast nearly fell over as an achingly familiar voice that he hadn't heard in four years tried to cut in. "Ladies, please, don't drag me into this…"

Finally, the group came into view. Gundred had a firm grip on Astrid, but was having a hard time struggling to keep her away from Camicazi, who was being held firmly away from her by Hiccup. They had run out of people to restrain Thora, who was thankfully content to glare at Astrid and busy herself in keeping the dragons out of it.

They came to a sudden halt when they realized that most of all three tribes were waiting for them. Hiccup let go of Camicazi (who lunged at Astrid but was intercepted by Thora) and placed a hand on Toothless's shoulder, looking very much like he wanted to bolt, but managed to stop himself just in time.

Thora took one look at the situation, and grabbed Stormfly's reins, gesturing for Camicazi to take her rightful place at Big-Boobied Bertha's side as she, Gundred and Alaric took the other dragons away. Camicazi did so, kissing Hiccup on the cheek as she passed, the action drawing a strangled gurgle from the other tribes.

Hiccup sent the other riders a slightly betrayed look, then turned to face his father.

_httyd_

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* * *

A/N: That seemed like a good place to leave it. Sorry for the long break between chapters, but I just got back from a trip overseas, and my computer has been acting up and displaying 'error' messages every second page, which makes it very difficult to post._

_Anyway, you know the drill. Comments and Constructive Criticism are welcome, flames are not, and if you have any questions, then please login or leave an e-mail address so I can actually reply._

_Thanks, Nat._


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

Hiccup had reluctantly gone to speak with his Father, and everyone was trying to find a way to keep themselves occupied, which was a bit tricky when the Bog-Burglars refused to let the other tribes into their village, but also didn't want them wandering off on their own devices

Thora looked up from polishing her daggers as the argument between heirs escalated, with Snotlout loudly proclaiming that at least he had survived a battle with a great warrior who must have been fighting for many years, despite her small stature and the fact that she was female.

Seeing Camicazi approaching, Thora thought it best to nip this in the bud. "Actually, she's sixteen and a half." There was a loud silence from the young Vikings, and Thora gave them a mock-sympathetic smirk, "She is the Bog-Burglar Heir, if that helps."

It didn't. In fact, Snotlout looked almost ready to cry. Thora smirked again; throwing that fact in the face of overconfident boys never got old, no matter how many times you did it.

Leaving the other young Vikings to Camicazi's tender mercies, Thora quietly left to go eavesdrop on the conversation between newly-reunited father and son. There had been no sounds that would indicate trying to kill each other, so of course she was curious.

* * *

"So… you're here."

It seemed that no matter what, Hiccup and Stoik never had anything to talk about.

On the rare occasions that they did, like Hiccup being the top of his dragonfighting class, or an involuntary reunion after thinking Hiccup dead for years, they still couldn't find the right words to say to each other.

"Uh… yeah. For a while."

Another long, uncomfortable silence, finally broken by Stoik. "Why did you leave, Hiccup? You were about to become a Viking, one of us. I thought that was what you always wanted."

Hiccup sighed. This was not going to be fun. "I did, Dad. But I was right the night of the last raid; I did hit a Nightfury. But when I found him, I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill a dragon, and I knew that I would have to. Better to leave and take my chances than to remain and fail spectacularly. I can deal with being a disappointment, I've done it my whole life, but I couldn't shame you like that Not when you were so proud of how I'd tricked my way through Dragon Training."

Stoik knew that he hadn't been shy in telling Hiccup when he messed up, but having the boy banish himself because he feared his father's potential reaction? Had he ever once told Hiccup that he was proud of him? Hiccup had certainly been no Snotlout or Astrid, but Stoik remembered a hundred moments when his beloved Valhallarama, also a late bloomer, shone through their son's face. She would have been proud of the way Hiccup fooled everyone. "Your mother would have loved it."

Hiccup brightened a little; his mother was not really an oft-discussed topic, and he always loved hearing about her. "Really?"

Stoik nodded. "She was as tricky-clever as anything, especially if she thought it would cause trouble. You take after her a lot." He yanked his mind back to the present. "Did they treat you well, the Bog Burglars? I see now that you weren't happy in Berk, but I don't want you to spend your life miserable."

Hiccup nodded. "Yes. Camicazi takes some getting used to, but she's amazing, and Thora's like an older sister. They actually liked the fact that I wouldn't kill a dragon. Toothless got to be around others of his kind, and I got to learn so much about them. The Bog Burglars are traditionally women, so they didn't mind that I barely knew one end of a sword from the other."

All things that had earned only scorn or punishment back on Berk. Finally, Stoik had to get to the main point. "Do you think you would ever come back to the Hooligans?"

It was painful for Stoik to ask, and at least as painful for Hiccup to answer. "I don't know, Dad. It was never really a possibility before, so I never thought about it. Do I need to give an answer right away?"

If it meant the return of his son, Stoik was willing to wait for decades. "No, son. Take your time." He looked down the beach, and saw that a fight was about to break out between the younger Vikings. "We both have things to do, but I'm proud to call you my son, Hiccup."

A shocked, but happy, smile. Was it really so surprising? "Thanks, Dad."

* * *

Astrid had been trying to corner Hiccup ever since the discovery that he was alive. Hiccup, on the other hand, remembered far too many rude and/or violent reactions whenever he did something 'non-traditional', and would freely admit to pulling out all the stops to avoid her.

He was cheerfully aided in this by Thora, who was still angry about Astrid's comments regarding Firesong, and Camicazi, who was feeling territorial in regards to her significant other.

This protection was unfortunately halved when the caravans turned up for the annual trading, and Thora and Alaric developed a sudden tendency to disappear together, sometimes to the Wild Dragon Cliffs, often to somewhere completely unknown.

Finally, one day, Big-Boobied Bertha needed Camicazi for Heir-related business, Alaric and his snow-dragon, Stormsong were teaching Thora and Firesong some new flying manuvers, while the twins watched, and Astrid enlisted the other young Hooligans to help catch Hiccup for a talk. Hiccup had known that this was coming, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to it.

The younger Vikings stood for several long minutes, just looking at each other, unsure of what to say, after almost four years of believing Hiccup dead, and a lifetime of ostrasizing and bullying him before that. Finally, Fishlegs broke the awkward stalemate. "So, how have you been?"

Hiccup almost laughed, but answered the question at face value. "Surprisingly good, Fishlegs. I suppose it helps that no-one expects me to be an all-powerful warrior, and they don't mind that I fly into battle, rather than running in and getting myself skewered."

That drew a nervous laugh from Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Ruffnut's eyes were almost admiring, "I can't imagine the guts it must have taken to try and ride a Night Fury. Weren't you scared?"

Astrid was not so kind. "So it was you and that dragon who nearly flattened me? When you were running away like a coward?"

Hiccup frowned at her, no longer the boy who would cringe away at the first signs of disapproval. "I couldn't kill a dragon, and I wouldn't take the risk of someone finding and trying to kill Toothless." Snotlout choked at the name, "Besides, I would have thought that you would be glad to be the first to kill a dragon."  
Astrid's reply came as a near-shriek. "I wanted that honour because I'd earned it, not because the first choice had run off! Now we find that you've been hiding out here, and dating a Bog-Burglar Heir! Are you insane? And the other one?"

Hiccup smiled ruefully; Camicazi was a bit of an aquired taste. "Camicazi is really quite nice, once you get used to her. Thora is more like a big sister than anything, even if it is annoying when she keeps disappearing with Alaric."

As if on cue, there was a roar from Stormsong, echoed by Firesong, and the two dragons and their riders went into a sudden spiralling dive at top speed. They pulled out of it in a split-second turn, barely a meter above the group's heads, giving them a few seconds to see the total exhilaration on the faces of the two riders before shooting off in the direction of the mountains.

Snotlout stood up from where he had attempted to hide behind Astrid when the dragons dove. "Do they do that all the time? Do all dragons play like that?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Most Dragon Riders are a bit more sedate, and so is Thora, most of the time. Alaric keeps thinking up new tricks, though, especially ones that can be done in formation, and Firesong is a bit of a show-off. Pulling out so close is usually more of a scare tactic."

Fishlegs had been gazing wistfully after the two dragons, as had Ruffnut, and the girl finally spoke. "How do you get or train your dragons, anyway?"

Hiccup shrugged casually. "Go to the Dragon Cliffs and wait until the parents are either asleep or hunting, then try to steal an egg or a baby dragon."

Thora's amused tone, slightly breathless, came from behind them, she and Alaric having circled around. "After than, the training really depends on the dragon. Firesong is fairly patient with me, and doesn't mind if it takes me a few tries to get something right. Stormsong is a terrific snob, and everything has to be just so with him."

There was a long silence, finally broken by Fishlegs, of all people. "Will you teach me?"

_httyd_

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_

A/N: Yes, it has been forever since I updated. The conversation between Hiccup and Stoik was giving me trouble, and I wasn't really sure where to take it from here. There will probably only be one or two more chapters, but if anyone feels like doing a spin-off or sequel, let me know.

_Sadly, the next chapter is also likely to take a while, as I am in the middle of moving house, job-hunting, and TAFE, so writing will not be one of my top priorities. I'll try gnot to take too long, however, so hang in there._

_As always, Constructive Criticism is appreciated, but we have enough fire with all the dragons around, so skip the Flames._

_Thanks, Nat_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon or associated works. It belongs to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my grandmother, who died last Monday, 2/5/2011._

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

It made for a very interesting sight.

As Hiccup had told Thora and Camicazi, (repeatedly, as a matter of fact) laughter had a time and place, but that time and place was NOT around a bunch of edgy Viking teens who were about to sneak into the Dragon caves for the first time.

Thora had agreed… to the point where she dragged Camicazi to just out of the Dragon Cave's hearing range, so the two could continue to point and laugh from a distance.

Cursing his adopted sister's sense of humour under his breath, Hiccup led the way into the caves. "Remember: Keep your voices down, and if the mother dragons return, don't try to play hero! Just get out as fast as possible."

The other Vikings nodded seriously. The idea of working WITH dragons was new to them, but a healthy respect of just how dangerous dragons could be had been drummed into them from birth. Even a Basic Brown could be deadly under the right circumstances, such as when it was protecting its young.

It took a while, the twins had to be forcibly separated twice, and there were a few close calls in regards to watching where you put your feet, therefore almost stepping on a slumbering dragon's tail, but everyone came out in one piece.

They sneaked back out again to see Camicazi discussing trying to teach Stormfly Latin swearwords (she already knew most of the Norse ones), to the occasional disapproving look from Thora, who was leaning against Firesong and reading a book, the dragon's wings spread over them both like a sunshade.

Snotlout and Thuggory instantly went over to show off their baby Monstrous Nightmares, Fireworm and Killer, while Fishlegs alternated between cooing over his Basic Brown, newly named Horrorcow, and filling everyone's ears with facts about dragons. Hiccup supposed that there was some kind of serious irony that Ruffnut and Tuffnut had both come out with a Hideous Zippleback, and even Astrid seemed slightly less aggressive as she hugged the baby Deadly Nadder.

The Hooligan Vikings-in-Training still had a lot to learn about riding dragons, and even more about taking care of them, but the Hooligans, Meatheads and Bog-Burglars were starting to step on each other's toes, and you didn't need Hiccup's brains to see that it would be better for the other tribes to head back to their own islands.

Despite Thora's (loud) protests, she was sent back to the Meathead Islands, while Hiccup (to even louder protests from both Hiccup and a territorial Camicaze) was going to Berk.

This was a source of tension, as many held the quiet, unspoken fear/hope that Hiccup might choose to stay there, having finally gained his life-long wish of being accepted by his father and tribe. The Bog-Burglars relaxed slightly when they found out that Camicazi and Thora had an even quieter word with a terrible terror, who sneaked on board one of the Hooligan ships, ordering it to talk to the dragons that the Hooligans used in training and convince them to get Hiccup away Berk if he needed their help.

Such an incident was unlikely, given that Hiccup rode a Night Fury, but there was no harm in taking precautions.

* * *

Unlikely or not, it became necessary when Stoik and the other Hooligans, realizing from a half-recalled conversation with Thora that a dragon could find Dragon Island, decided to go there, either to get dragons of their own, or to take out whatever was causing the raids.

Hiccup's almost desperate objections had been ignored, and every available ship had been launched, guided by the Terrible Terror used in Viking Training, as the Terror stowaway sent by Camicazi was both undiscovered, and far too smart to even consider it. Anyway, it was already winging its way back to the Bog-Burglar island as fast as dragonly possible.

Hiccup was pacing the dock, frantically trying to think of a solution, when Toothless perked up, and Hiccup turned just in time to spot Firesong and Stormfly. Camicazi jumped off, her long hair even wilder than usual. "You see, this is why girls are better than boys! We have way to much sense to go running off to get ourselves killed trying to fight something that even Night Furies are reluctant to face!"

Behind her, Thora's expression conveyed what Hiccup was thinking: that the only reason Camicazi hadn't run off to Dragon Island was because she didn't know where it was and couldn't convince any of the dragons to take her there.

It seemed to be the cue for the other young Vikings of Berk to approach from wherever they had been hiding. "So what are we going to do about it? All of our dragons are just babies."

Hiccup grinned, in the manner of one who knows that he is about to do something stupid and reckless and that smiling is the only way not to burst into hysterics. "Something crazy."

Camicazi and the Hooligan Vikings matched his smile, while Thora sighed. "I'm going to get the world's biggest headache over this, aren't I?"

They ran to the dragon training ring, at which point the basics of the Plan dawned on everyone else. Thora sighed. Camicazi grinned. Fishlegs was the first to recover from the shock. "If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle."

Tuffnut elbowed him aside. "You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon." Hiccup looked confused; Tuffnut sighed. "It's me."

Snotlout pushed him out of the way. "I LOVE this plan!"

Ruffnut shoved him into her brother. "You're crazy!" She sent a guarded look at Camicazi, then leaned in, her voice soft, "I like that!"

Astrid yanked the other girl away by her braids. "So, what is the Plan?"

The Monsterous Nightmare would be the hardest to convince, and Hiccup felt as though he was walking on eggshells as he coaxed it out of it's cage. Slowly taking Snotlout by the wrist, he placed his former rivel's hand on the Nightmare's head. Snotlout made a noise that was halfway between a whimper and a laugh, looking panicked as Hiccup left him there. "Wait, where are you going!"

Hiccup picked up a coil of rope from the weapon chest as the other dragons slowly emerged. "You're going to need something to hang on with."

Dragons had a complex hierarchy, mostly based on who could eat you if you didn't do what they wanted, but also on size, temperament and abilities. The lower-ranked dragons usually took their cue from the higher ones, with a few exceptional circumstances. Seeing two Night Furies and a Monstrous Nightmare willing to be ridden by humans, the lesser dragons couldn't really object to doing the same.

The new Hooligan dragon riders were mounted, and Hiccup gave a last check to see that none of them were about to fall off. "Everyone ready? OK, let's – "

Thora's voice cut him off. "I thought you were supposed to be sensible, Hiccup." She dismounted, facing Toothless. "I think we need to know what we're facing, first. What is on that island?"

* * *

Hiccup looked calm yet determined as he lead the mixed flight of dragons through the sky, but internally he was swearing up a storm. A Green Death. The smallest were the size of a mountain, and they ate anything that they thought might look tasty. Up to and including other dragons. That certainly explained why so many dragons were willing to follow its commands.

On the other hand, it was also a good thing, in a very twisted way. A Green Death was so lethal that the other dragons would hardly think of disobeying it, but no one likes being prey, so they also wouldn't get in the way of anyone who felt like fighting it.

The Vikings might actually stand a chance of getting out of there alive.

* * *

Well, the Dragon Riders did, at least. The odds for the Vikings that had sailed there, on the other hand, didn't look so good.

They had managed to coax the Green Death out of it's nest, at which point it had promptly set fire to the boats, leaving them stranded. At least Stoik had the sense to send the other Vikings as far away as they could get, though Hiccup didn't think nearly as much of Stoik and Gobber actually trying to annoy it, even if it was a good distraction.

But he and the younger generation had an even better one. A concentrated blast of fire from seven dragons had a sharp effect on even the Green Death's tough skin. Thora veered off as the others swooped around the Green Death. "I'll see if I can coax some of the other dragons back!"

Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins ran distraction, while Camicazi, Hiccup and Astrid tried to find a weak spot, all with limited success. Finally, Hiccup spotted a possibility. "That thing has wings. Let's see if it can use them!"

As it turns out, a Night Fury is very distracting, especially when accompanied by a Mood-Dragon who had somehow picked up her rider's gift for irritating people. It took all of ten seconds (and a very large burst of fire from Toothless) before a very angry Green Death was following Toothless and Hiccup into the growing thunderclouds. "You think that did it?"

Camicazi and Stormfly swooped alongside them. "Oh, yes. I'll take care of things down here, Hiccup. You and Toothless are the only ones with the speed and co-ordination to pull this off… even if you are both boys!"

Hiccup grinned. "Thanks, Cami. Don't worry, Sunshine: Bog Burglar girls are still better than boys, even though I'm the exception."

An old joke, throwing her own words back at her. Camicazi refused to let on how much this forced levity frightened her. "Come back to me and prove it. I'm proud to call you my boyfriend."

She circled some of the rock formations in order to dodge the Green Death on her way back down. Someone needed to dig Fishlegs out from under his Gronckle, and everyone else was standing around looking useless.

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder to see the Green Death gaining on them, and followed Camicazi's example of swooping between the rock formations in an attempt to keep ahead. It wasn't very effective, as the Green Death simply smashed through them, but it did slow the monster down a little. Finally giving it up as so much rubble, Hiccup urged Toothless higher into the darkening clouds, narrowly dodging a burst of flame. "OK, Toothless, time to disappear!"

The dwindling daylight and the impending storm combined to make that easy. The Green Death reached a point of some visibility in the clouds and tried to spy the little dinners that were so stubbornly resisting their fate. Sadly for the Green Death, while its sense of hearing and smell were excellent, its sense of sight was not, and its night vision was almost non-existant. Night Furies were difficult to see or catch under the best of circumstances, and even other dragons rarely saw them coming.

The only warning the Green Death had was a millisecond on incoming heat before a bolt of blue fire struck it, and being turned by the force of the blow was the only thing that allowed it to catch a fleeting glimpse of black wings before another bolt of fire hit from another direction. And another. And another.

Finally, the Green Death decided to solve the problem by blanketing the sky with fire. The black worm might be fireproof, but the little snack riding it was not. Sure enough, it could hear a cry of "Watch out!"

Hiccup swore under his breath as he noticed Toothless's false tailfin catch fire. They were running out of time. "OK, time's up. Let's see if this works." He nudged Toothless into another steep dive. "Come on, is that the best you can do?"

They dodged around the monster, heading straight toward the ground. "Come on, Toothless, stay with me. Just a little longer!"

The Green Death plummeted after them thinking of nothing but crushing the two. Hiccup and Toothless managed to stay ahead, but just barely, and the Green Death opened it's mouth, knowing that there was no way for them to dodged its fire at this distance. The second before the gas became an inferno, Toothless flipped around and shot a bolt of his own directly into the Green Death's mouth, the one place that it wasn't fireproof.

The Green Death began to burn, its own inner fire turning against it as it hit the ground in a raging inferno, and Toothless quickly swooped to the side, desperately trying to get behind the Green Death and out of the way before the tailfin failed completely. Barely ahead of the fire, they almost made it… before the huge club of a tail hit them. The tailfin snapped completely, and Hiccup was thrown out of the saddle, falling into what was sure to be his doom.

* * *

Thora had managed to bring enough dragons back to get the Vikings back to Berk, if they made a few trips. They landed in a thick fog of dragon-induced smoke, spotting the Vikings gathered around something, and no sign of the Green Death.

Spotting Camicazi near the front, she elbowed her way between the Hooligans. "Our ride home is here, so what's… oh."

Toothless lay a few meters in front of the crowd, barely able to lift his head, and curled around something lanky, unmoving, and slightly crisped.

Ah, **Hel**!

_httyd_

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_httyd_

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* * *

_A/N: Yes, it's been forever since I updated. Unfortunately, moving has taken up more than a little of my time, and lack of an internet connection has taken up even more, especially as my sister and I are currently not talking and she is the closest source of using the net. Good news, my internet should start working on the 16/5/2011, at which point updates should become more regular._

_Not supposed to do review responses, but I thought it needed answering…_

**Aftershockxx:**** I did know all of that, actually. However, I am working largely off of the Books, which, being fiction, largely disregard historical facts. I'm pretty sure that the Roman's didn't have dragonskin handbags, either, or eat baby puff nadders in garlic sauce, but that's fantasy for you.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I don't own How To Train Your Dragon. Everything you recognize belongs to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks._

_Summary: See previous Chapters._

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Hiccup left leg was heavier than it should be, and he couldn't feel his foot. He ached all over, and several places were tender and raw. Something was nudging his face, crooning softly.

It took more effort than it should have to open his eyes, and once he did, Hiccup wondered if he were not still dreaming. Toothless was leaning over him, and he was in a place he had not really seen in years.

When he came to visit Berk, Hiccup had chosen to sleep at the Forge with Toothless, not wanting to give his father False Hope before he made a decision. Now, he seemed to be lying on his old bed, while Toothless bounded through the rafters. Bracing himself for damage control, Hiccup started to get out of bed, but paused.

Oh.

That was why his leg was so heavy.

The once skinny-but-healthy leg was gone from below the knee, replaced by a metal contraption that had potential to act like a real leg, once Hiccup had fiddled with it for a bit. Toothless nudged him again, crooning softly. Well, at least now they matched. Hiccup took a deep breath and stood up. So far, so good.

Walking proved a bit more difficult, and Hiccup nearly fell over with a cry of pain before Toothless caught him. He took another breath and tried again, moving slower. He limped to the door, opening it… and promptly slammed it closed again in the face of a Monstrous Nightmare.

Oh, come on! "Toothless, stay here."

He pulled the door open again and stepped outside, blinking in shock as the Nightmare turned out to be ridden by Snotlout, who was leading several older Vikings, also mounted on dragons. "Come on, guys, get ready! Hold tight, here we go!"

Wondering when the world had been turned on its head, Hiccup looked around him.

Dragons were everywhere, perched on every available surface, from rooftops to fences. The huge bowls that were once used as torches in Dragon Raids now bore a scary resemblance to giant bird baths, filled with fish and with dragons perched on the edge. It was surreal, to say the least.

There was the obvious answer, of course. "I knew it; I'm dead!"

Hearty laughter, like he had heard only a few times in his life. "HA! No, but you gave it your best shot. So, what do you think?"

Hiccup was still trying to wrap his mind around the whole thing when some of the other Vikings caught sight of him. "Hey, look, it's Hiccup!"

It wasn't the first time that Hiccup had been surrounded by worked-up Vikings, but it was the first time that it had happened when they had not been furious or at least annoyed with him. The shocks just kept on coming when he realized that Stoik's pride in him seemed both genuine and ongoing. "Turns out all we needed was a bit more of… this."

That was another turn around. "You just gestured to all of me."

Whatever reply Hiccup might have made was cut off by the arrival of the younger Vikings and the re-emergence of Toothless, who had apparently decided that the lack of screaming meant that it was all right to come out, and the Vikings probably needed shaking up anyway.

Grinning at the ingrained reaction of 'Night Fury – get down!' Hiccup noticed that there were a few faces missing, and that they were the ones he had most anticipated. "Where are Thora and Camicazi?"

Fishlegs glanced around, clearly making sure that someone was not nearby. "Thora had to go back to the Meatheads, but Camicazi hasn't stopped yelling at us since we got back to Berk, and no one is willing to go within sword's-reach of her. Ruffnut had to make Astrid and Snotlout distract her while she and Tuffnut jumped her from behind, and no one is going near the training ring unless Camicazi is somewhere else."

Hiccup supposed that it was a very good thing that the bow was the one weapon Camicazi was useless with, and being repeatedly defeated by Thora had been enough to discourage her from leaning to throw knives… all so her cousin could feel the best at _something_, of course.

Either way, it was rendered a moot point when a blonde whirlwind tackled him. "You're all right! That was actually really heroic – for a boy, of course – but don't ever scare me like that again! I mean, really, Hiccup – "

To the despair of the Barbaric Archipelago, the most effective way of shutting Camicazi up was also one that only Hiccup could employ without getting hospitalized. He kissed her, to the hastily muffled giggles of several other Vikings, who had started to drift away when it was clear the excitement was over. Camicazi briefly contemplated the benefits and drawbacks of continuing her rant. "Oh, all right. But you still can't scare me like that again."

Hiccup grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, Sunshine." He eyed what looked like a new tailfin leaning against the door. "Do you think you can spring me long enough to go for a fly?"

Camicazi's spirits returned in an instant. "Easy-peasy."

Hiccup quietly strapped the new tailfin to Toothless as Camicazi started to draw her sword, making all the Hooligans draw back just far enough for Toothless to have a clear path as Hiccup swung on and grabbed Camicazi, taking off in a second. Stormfly appeared only seconds after that, and Camicazi abandoned Hiccup and Toothless for her own dragon. Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins joined them moments after that, and Hiccup lost himself in the freedom of the skies.

* * *

Hiccup tentatively opened the door to Stoik the Vast's council chamber, bracing himself for one of, if not probably _the_ hardest conversations he would have in his life. "Dad? I need to talk to you."

Stoik the Vast looked up from a conversation/debate with Gobber the Belch. "I need to speak with you too, son."

Gobber may not be the smartest of individuals, but he was perceptive. He quickly excused himself as Hiccup took a deep breath and just blurted it out. "I'm not staying Berk. I've built a life for myself with the Bog-Burglars, where I can just be Hiccup. I'm not leaving it behind for somewhere that we both know I'll never really fit in."

Stoik scowled, and Hiccup thanked Odin that he had been on the receiving end of both enough times to tell the difference between an angry scowl and a startled/thoughtful one. Logical thinking had never been his father's strong point. "Is this about your leg? There's no shame in it, you know. Plenty of other Vikings have lost limbs in battle. Just look at Gobber!"

It was nice to see Stoik actually listening to him for a change. "The leg might take some getting used to, but I can handle it. I never fit in on Berk, Dad, and I've made a life for myself and a serious promise to Camicazi. I can't just forget that."

It was very unlike Vikings to just give up without a long (and preferably bloody) fight, but even Stoik could spot an already-lost argument. There had been plenty of them with Valhallarama. "You won't just disappear again, will you? I lost you once, and it _won't_ happen again.

Hiccup, who had envisioned this discussion to involve a lot more shouting, gave his father an achingly familiar wry half-grin. "I ride a Night Fury. I can beat a messenger bird back to Berk in a heartbeat. I'll visit, I promise."

Stoik wasn't happy about Hiccup's decision, but for the moment, he was too relieved that his son was still alive to yell about it. He hadn't been joking when he told Hiccup that he wouldn't lose him again. He didn't like that his son had found a home somewhere else, but he could live with it, especially as he was only an hour or two away, as the Night Fury flies. He could rant about it to Gobber later, at least.

* * *

Camicazi had gone ahead to collect Thora, and to let Hiccup say his goodbyes in private (and to avoid open warfare with Astrid, who had figured out that of all the boys her age on Berk, Hiccup was probably the best, and was actually a nice guy, prompting her pursuit).

For the first time in… well, probably ever, Hiccup hugged his father, and mounted Toothless. The other young Vikings formed an honour guard as they took off, and Hiccup took a moment to think of all the what-ifs, before deciding that it didn't matter. What was, was. He was Hiccup the Useful , Slayer of the Purple Death and the first Dragon Rider of Berk.

He was at peace with his past, and how he soared toward A New Beginning.

_httyd_

_httyd_

_httyd_

_httyd_

* * *

_A/N: I know that some people will be annoyed with Hiccup losing his leg, since I was aiming for a mix of the books and the movie, but I liked the symmetry of both Hiccup and Toothless relying on each other in place of a missing limb._

_Final chapter is done and the story is COMPLETE! There will not be a sequel, but if anyone feels like continuing it, tell me first and feel free! (I'm not trying to be arrogant, but I've had similar requests for a few of my other stories, so I thought I'd say it straight.)_

_Thanks, Nat._


End file.
